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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · pit · cap · bay · chair · key · scale · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mine — for digging
  6. key — for a lock
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. key — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. scale — in music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chair — a leader
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pit — a fruit stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com